I had a 98 1500 with the 318 and towed everything from a 1800lb VW Beetle to a 5400lb 56 Pontiac Safari (including a 93 Grand Cherokee 5.2 which I would think is about the same weight as an Exploder) through the Poconos without issues. As mentioned, turn off the OD and make sure your brakes are up to snuff. If you use a trailer from UHaul, those have surge brakes which help some, but your truck's brakes are still doing most of the work.